Best of You
by musicormisery22
Summary: Her wedding was all planned out. The only thing that needed to be arranged in order for it to be perfect was to get her fiance the ideal best man – only that reuniting Francis with his half-brother wouldn't be as easy as she thought especially with said man being a little more handsome and dangerous than she had imagined. But then again, there was a lot Mary didn't know. MASH AU
1. Best Man

**Chapter One**

_To me, you're strange and you're beautiful, _  
_You'd be so perfect with me but you just can't see, _  
_You turn every head but you don't see me._

* * *

"Well I bet there must be someone out of all your friends who'd be happy to be your best man, Francis" Mary said, going through different wedding magazines.

They had practically been planning their wedding since they were kids so the simple thought that even a little detail about it would not be perfect made her go crazy.

Especially when the 'little detail' her groom-to-be forgot to mention was that he had no idea who'd support him that day.

"Sometimes I am amazed by the way you always seem to see the good in people." the handsome man answered.

"What do you mean?" the brunette asked in a confused tone.

He was spending the majority of his week dining with other politicians, they were invited to the fanciest parties in New York City – there must be _someone _he'd consider a friend.

"Well those men aren't _friends._ It's business. They'd pretend to be loyal partners but they're just a bunch of lying suck-ups who'd do everything to be on my good side." Francis seemed to continue her train of thought.

"I don't believe this is true. You're such a good man, they all think highly you." she said lovingly, now putting aside her magazine to focus on her fiance.

"Not enough to stand beside me at my wedding." he countered.

"What about your brother then?" Mary suggested carefully even though she knew that he'd probably freak out.

Sebastian was a taboo topic in this house – this whole family really.

"You're not serious." Francis said, looking at her in disbelieve. The paperwork in front of him now totally irrelevant.

How did she even come up with this crap? That trash of a half-brotherwas nothing she should worry about.

"He won't even be invited to our wedding in the first place. It would disgrace the whole event." Francis snapped at her.

"But wouldn't you want your family to be reunited so we can start the rest of our life with a clean slate?" Mary argued, still the same level of kindness in her voice.

She knew that somewhere deep inside Francis wanted his brother to be there.

"No. He's not my_ family_." The blonde denied Mary's idea once more.

"God, Francis what could he have possibly done to you that would make you hate him this much?"

"He's a screw-up. A stereotypical bastard boy. He lives in the bronx and that's exactly where he belongs – with all the other criminals."

Mary couldn't believe her ears.

Why would he talk about his brother this way?

This wasn't the genuine and caring Francis she had been in love with for all those years.

"So being an illegitimate child makes you a criminal?" she asked provocatively.

She'd get him to talk, he had never been good at keeping something from her.

"No. Like I said he's simply a bad influence. Just believe me he's really not worth the drama." her fiance continued trying to convince her, his tone now rather annoyed than angry.

"If you say so." Mary said getting up and ready to leave the room.

"_Mary_" Francis warned her with his eyebrows raised.

"What is it, my love?" The brown haired beauty said with an angelic smile as she turned to face him again.

"I know that look. You're onto something!" He accused her in a worried tone.

Francis really wasn't in the mood to play games today so he hoped that his fiance would just drop the topic eventually.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, absolutely none." She cast him another adorable smile and with that vanished from view.

_This can't be good. _Francis thought as he let out a heavy sign.

He really had the most determined fiance in this world.

But after all that was one of the things that made him fall in love with her.

Shaking his head with a smirk on his features, he turned his attention back to the pile of paperwork in front of him.

Whatever she had planned, he wouldn't be able to talk her out of it anyway so he might as well accept his fate.

* * *

This guy couldn't possibly be _that_ bad.

Even if she never really got to meet him she couldn't bring herself to believe the guy was such a monster.

He was Francis' brother after all so if there were at least a few similarities between the two men, he must be a great guy.

"What do you want?" a husky voice called behind an only slightly opened door.

He must be twenty-something as well.

Dark, long and ruffled hair framed his quite handsome face.

The guy looked like he hadn't shaved in days though, but she had to admit that the stubble kinda suited him.

It made him look somewhat older, dangerous even.

"So you gonna stare some more or is there actually anything you want?" The man asked her with a lot of sarcasm in his voice.

The smirk on his features really resembled her fiance's, just a little bit darker, she noticed.

"Oh uhm, yes – of course." Mary answered, still startled at how many similarities to Francis and Henry she could make out from the man's appearance.

"_So_? I don't have all day." The guy in front of her stated with amusement.

By now he was definitely aware of Mary's staring. A blind man would've been.

As the dark haired man leaned against the wooden door frame Mary observed the way his shirt would slightly roll up his upper arm.

He must work out _a lot_ judging from the more than respectable biceps showing through his white t-shirt.

Mary bit her lip as a desperate attempt to stop herself from staring.

_'God, this is your fiance's brother, Mary. In-a-ppro-priate' s_he reminded herself before focusing on the man's face again.

His features were very manly – defined jaw and cheekbones, bright piercing eyes – god this wasn't any better.

What the hell was wrong with her? It must be the wedding stress or this uncomfortable neighborhood getting to her.

"Yes, right!" Mary rambled, searching her bag for the cake she had prepared as a kind of peace offering.

When she finally found what she was looking for she stretched out her hand for him to shake.

"Mary Stuart." The brunette introduced herself.

The guy in front of her simply chuckled at her fine manners and shook her small hand, apparently only to mock her.

"Bash." he said in a neutral voice. "So, _Mary. _What brings a spoiled UES girl like you to the Bronx? At my door to be specific."

"_Excuse me_?" Mary said with a bit of shock in her voice. Maybe Francis was right and this brother of his was really not such a great person to be around.

"Pepper spray, glossy hair, high heels. You're obviously not from here." He noted simply.

_Ok Mary, don't forget why you're doing this_. She told herself, suppressing any kind of anger towards the guy in front of her.

"I'm your brother's fiance." She continued her introduction, taking another calming breath.

Without another word the handsome guy disappeared from sight and the dark, wooden door flew shut in front of her face.

"Sebastian! Please just- ... hear me out?" She begged knocking on the door carefully.

"Nothing I'd be interested in." She heard him say in a frozen voice that seemed to distance from her position.

He was simply walking away. Just like that.

Sebastian just ditched her after she had made this great afford to bake and enter this dangerous part of New York City on her own!

Mary decided that he would not get away this easily.

After all she already had every detail of her wedding planned out – Francis having his bother as his best man and reuniting her future husbands family was part of it.

* * *

"How's the mission going?" Francis asked with an amused smirk as he watched his fiance storming into the kitchen area and slamming a box of cake on the counter.

"You were right, you're brother _is_ a brat!" She said furiously.

"You contacted him?" The blond man questioned confused.

He wasn't angry at her though.

Mary had always been head strong and when she set her mind on something she had to succeed.

Only this time he knew she wouldn't, so he didn't have to worry in the first place.

"It was so frustrating!" She wined while shoving a piece of chocolate cake into her mouth. "How can you two look so much alike but be total opposites?"

Francis let out another small laugh as he wrapped his arms around his wife-to-be and watched her with amusement.

"The poor cake is innocent, really. It doesn't deserve to be slaughtered" He commented, his head resting on her shoulder.

"I baked that stupid cake for your stupid brother!" she continued swearing as she ate another piece of cake.

"I told you not to get your hopes up." He told her before placing a small peck on her cheek to calm her down.

"But he's your_ brother._ I want him to be at the wedding." She pouted.

"Believe me, we're better off not having him as a part of this family." Francis continued convincing her while snuggling closer to her, his arms now around her middle while she was still torturing the baked goods.

"Now lets go to bed and practice for the wedding night" he whispered into her ear seductively.

"I'm not done here!" Mary protested loudly.

"You can have the rest of the cake _after,_ you know?" The blond male suggested.

"Oh I am not talking about the cake." Mary added, the determination written all over her face.

She freed herself of her fiance's grip in one swift move before making her way towards her dressing room.

"Mary! Come on." Francis objected but by then he knew he wasn't going to get any before the brunette would succeed.

* * *

**A/N:** Should I continue this? :)


	2. The Dare

**N/A:** Thank you for reviewing, you're the best! I'm so sorry it took me so long guys but I was trying to figure out a plot twist and stuff so this wouldn't turn out to be just some romcom fic or anything. So please keep reading I promise it'll have a lot more depth to it very soon :) Rated **M** for language, a lot of alcohol and possible smut later on

* * *

**Chapter Two**

The plan was simple really.

Maybe even a bit too simple.

But from the way he had behaved earlier she guessed that he wasn't clever enough to see through her scheme anyway.

For a man who didn't seem to be all too important or well known around the city it had been very easy to track him down.

_Black Forest Night Club_ – popular for its dark lighting, offensive music and barely dressed women.

She should've known that a guy like him would hang out there frequently even though it kinda disgusted her to think that such a close family member, well future family member, would even know places like that.

"Why the hell should we be going to a _men's club_ in the Bronx?" Greer asked, looking at her friend like she was nuts.

"Technically it's not. Like there are no strippers or anything." Mary continued to convince her blond friend.

Which was hard considering the fact that without a certain agenda she would not set a single foot in that club either.

But they have been arguing about it for a good ten minutes now and she was starting to get really annoyed.

Why couldn't they just play?

Usually her friends would jump at the chance of going out to meet guys.

_Okay_, usually they wouldn't go to_ the fucking Bronx_ to do that. Point taken.

"Oh are there not?" Greer continued in her usual arrogant tone.

"Well_ I_ think it could be fun. Sluttin' it up a little. You girls are really starting becoming boring turn offs." Another friend of Mary's, Kenna, suggested.

Usually she would've rolled her eyes at her comment but right now the brunettes unconventional attitude was exactly what she needed to get her friends to accompany her.

For this plan to work she couldn't show up there alone, she needed a bait and maybe Kenna was just the right choice.

* * *

When she finally got her girls to go to the night club she was more than thankful that Kenna had lend them stuff from her collection of partying dresses cause otherwise they would have definitely been overdressed.

Basically you were already overdressed wearing_ anything_ that covered breasts and ass but well, she definitely wasn't going to go that low.

"To a kick-ass girls night!" Mary toasted, presenting them the couple of shots she had just ordered for them.

"A girls night we're holding in a club like this, _why again_?" Greer complained once more.

"Because the fucking Bronx deserves to catch a glimpse of our fabulous bodies as well!" Kenna cheered, trying to get her friends to loosen up already.

"I don't know.." Aylee, the youngest and most quiet of the group threw in.

"Drink up, crybaby! Guys don't like downers!" Kenna lectured her with success.

Now that both, Aylee and Greer, were starting to chung the clear shots, Mary was optimistic that her plan would play out just fine.

As said blondes continued drinking Mary dragged Kenna onto the dance floor, already scanning the huge hall for her dark-haired brother-in-law-to-be.

"So tell me, what's going on?" The brunette's question distracted Mary from her search.

Of course she'd figure it out.

After all Kenna wasn't as naive as the others.

At least not when it came to obvious scheming, since it was usually her speciality.

For a second she considered lying or even giving up the plan, cause all of her explanations would most likely make her look delirious but then she remembered that Kenna could never turn down a catchy challenge.

Mary was definitely going to use that.

As she thought of a way to trick the brunette she spotted him.

He was wearing dark jeans, a dark shirt and a leather jacket.

His hair still as messy as it had been a few hours ago, looking even more attractive in this dark lighting, and his piercing eyes shone both blue and green from the lights reflecting in them.

_God_, getting Kenna hooked on that guy would be the easiest thing in history of manipulation.

She simply had to make her friend cast a glance at him and she'd be head over heels.

At least Mary was – uhm, would have been that is - if she wasn't engaged to his brother.

_Dammit, Mary. Get it together. You have a plan to full fill._

Taking a deep breath she finally noticed that Kenna was still waiting for an answer.

"Who's the hottie?" she asked, as if she was reading her mind.

"Which one?" Mary asked, pretending to be all impressed by the big variety of good looking men around them.

"The one you've been drooling over for the past five minutes? duh!" Kenna suggested with a chuckle.

_Fuck_, she knew her all to well.

Mary needed a drink. A heavy one.

But before that she had to get Kenna over to the bar.

Sebastian had to fall for her.

"I was not!" she insisted in a fake shocked voice.

_OK maybe a little, but Kenna doesn't have to know that. _

As the girl in front of her shot her a knowing glance she simply shook her head in a sassy way and went on with her plan.

"Would it bother you, though? Not being the one to get the yummiest of them for _once_?" Mary provoking her friend, knowing that this kind of comment would push her buttons.

"He_ does _look like he'd bang me senseless" Kenna commented, studying their person of interest a little closer now.

_Oh yes, he does_. Mary thought and immediately cursed herself for even thinking stuff like that.

_He's baaad news. _She reminded herself of Francis' words to stop herself from staring.

In vain.

Did her fiancé had to have such an attractive brother? This wasn't fair on_ so many_ levels.

"So you wanna make it a dare?" Mary continued pushing.

"I'm listening." Kenna said, still focused on Sebastian.

"You have two hours, if the time's up he's mine." The dark haired woman went on, praying Kenna wouldn't see right through her.

Of course she wouldn't as much as flirt with the guy cause she'd feel like she was being unfaithful to Francis... but maybe, just maybe her friend was already tipsy enough to buy it.

But by the way Kenna was looking at her she was not.

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

_Please, for once don't think any further, please_.

"Deal." Her friend said and Mary had to keep herself from beaming in victory.

"By the way... I don't blame you, I would chose that guy over Francis in the blink of an eye." Kenna whispered to her with a dirty smirk on her features before making her way over to the bar.

After calming herself down and shaking her head, in order to get rid of all of the inappropriate thoughts she has had a couple of seconds ago, Mary went back to where Aylee and Greer were still downing shots.

_They're going to be wasted in no time. This is going to be fun!_ She mused with a chuckle.

As soon as she had rejoined her friends she continued observing Kenna and Sebastian.

_How does she do that? _Mary asked herself as she watched the brunette's heavy flirting.

_She is practically screaming for him to take her right on that very counter. How pathetic. _Her thoughts went on as her facial expressions hardened.

Well at least her plan would succeed and she'd have something on Sebastian, well more like _someone_ on Sebastian, to talk him into attending the wedding.

She slowly but surely got angry at her friend though.

But why the hell would she do that? She was the one who planned to pair her up with Francis' brother and now she was blaming Kenna for playing along?

More alcohol. She needed _more_.

* * *

The walls seemed to close in on her.

Everything was spinning.

_Shit_, when she had decided to let the alcohol lighten up her mood she didn't mean _wasted. _

Where the hell were Aylee and Greer anyway?

Oh right, _making out _with some dudes.

Or_ something_, she really couldn't care less right now cause all that mattered in that moment was to get herself out of this club and into a cab very quick without getting raped.

Those men were like animals when they were drunk.

Speaking of – she felt the tight grip of a hand around her arm.

"Leave me alone!" she slurred, pulling her arm away with force.

What she didn't see coming was the hard pavement.

She felt a sharp and consuming pain in her head and that was the last thing she could remember.


	3. Thank you

**Chapter 3**

"Bash you shouldn't be here." a probably still hungover Aylee said, placing a small hand the man's back.

Mary could barely see anything but blurred outlines under her thick lashes but her friend seemed to be referring to Francis' brother Sebastian.

So_ Bash_ it is? But what was he doing here? And _where_ was she anyway? Without making herself noticeable she took in her surroundings, at least all the things she could see through eyes that were still too tired to open up completely.

The walls were painted a very light blue and the room itself was pretty lightened considering the fact that to Mary it still seemed like midnight or something.

"I know…" she heard Bash say in a voice that she didn't expect from him. He sounded quiet, guilty even.

What was the deal with him? It wasn't like she knew him better than the next best cover girl on any of her favorite magazines or anyone at Francises company and yet there was only one stranger sitting beside her bed with concern written all over his face.

"But you wanted to see if she was alright." the blonde added in a heartfelt tone as if she could read his mind.

So Aylee _knew him_ now? Sure, by the time she had woken up Kenna had probably already introduced her new boy toy to everyone in New York City but she doubted that he could've gotten further than small talk with any of her friends so far. It was undoubtedly strange.

Still, a small part was happy that he was here… for the sake of Francis' family reunion of course… not because his awfully defined features and bright eyes would distract her from the stinging pain in her forehead.

Definitely not.

Okay maybe he wasn't that bad to look at after all but she felt pretty guilty about the whole situation though.

If his hair had been messy last light than someone should invent a new word for its current state cause "messier" didn't quite cover it.

And judging from his looks he must've been up all night. But why? She had spoken to him once in her entire lifetime. Why did he care?

He should be at home now making out with Kenna and preparing to be Francises best man or something. Not sitting around the hospital worrying about her. It was beyond odd.

"You should go get some rest. She'll be fine." Mary heard her blond friend saying as she tried not to show any signs of being awake.

This whole situation made her curious.

But in order for her to find out if there was more to this conversation he had to stay.

Of course though, he didn't. Without another word the dark haired man vanished from her blurry sight.

_Dammit._

In that moment the ache in her head reminded her of last nights events and Mary decided that she might as well return to her previous slumber.

After all, however bad the injury was, sleep would be the only way for her body to regenerate.

* * *

She was released from the hospital after just two days.

A good thing considering the fact that she had never been a fan of people she hadn't seen in ages holding her hand and pitying her.

She didn't need their fake pity party.

Geez, she had been drunk and tripped.

Usual people would just laugh about it but her all too uptight family and friends were smothering her in their concern.

So saying that she was happy to come home was an understatement.

Francis had been at her side almost 24/7.

He had even canceled a business meeting with his father for her.

As she thought about all the nice things her fiance had done for her those past few days she remembered a question she had been dying to ask.

"_Francis_?" She started carefully as she watched him unpack her bag from the hospital stay.

"What's wrong, love?" He asked het concerned.

_There it was again._

Suppressing the need of telling him that she wasn't a baby anymore she took a step towards the window to observe the street.

Well to be honest, it was more to cover up her interest in the topic she was going to bring up.

She didn't want Francis to get a the wrong impression.

"Did you catch your brother while he was at the hospital? Did the two of you get the chance to talk?" She asked, trying to make it sound like small talk.

"He was there?" She heard her fiance ask in a neutral voice.

Shit so he didn't even see him.

"Yes I saw him talking to Aylee on the first morning." Mary claimed in an uncertain voice.

He had been there, she couldn't have imagined it, right? Why would she?

"Are you sure? You were under the influence of strong medication, sweetheart."

"No, honestly I saw him, he was there. He left shortly before you arrived.."

"Alright, whatever you say." Francis said, placing a small kiss on her forehead.

"Francis I'm not insane. I may have hit my head but my mental state is _fine_." She continued defending herself.

"I'm not saying that you were necessarily hallucinating but I really don't think that it was him."

_This gets more frustrating by the minute_, Mary thought as she watched her fiance leave the room.

* * *

"Aylee, may I ask you something?" Mary asked her oldest friend. Her fingers were playing with the little cookie on her saucer.

"Sure, what's up?" The blonde said, taking a sip of her coffee before focusing on Mary.

"Do you know why Francis' brother visited me at the hospital?" She asked in a quiet voice, studing the slightly younger girls face.

After all she didn't need anyone else thinking that she was going nuts so she should probably keep her voice down low. Gladly it was only her and Aylee at the cafe this morning. Usually it was the routine of the girls– meeting up each Saturday morning at this cute little coffee place where they could talk about everything and nothing.

To her relief Greer was spending the whole weekend with her new guy, Leith or something, she couldn't really remember since Greer had never really introduced him but she talked about the man 24/7 so she just assumed that they were seeing each other.

Kenna was probably still hungover from another night of partying, at least she had texted that morning saying that she wasn't feeling well and Lola... well that was a completely different story.

She hadn't been around for moths now, or had it already been a year? Sure, Mary was happy for her friend that she finally got to do that journey around the world but she really missed her.

Lola had always been the smart one, the one who'd stand by her and help her figure out things with Francis and the company.

As Aylee spoke again the thoughts of Lola were already forgotten.

"He did?" She was obviously trying to sound surprised but Mary could always read her like a book "Uhm- I meant.. _Who _did?"

She really was a poor liar. After all she was the honest and genuine one and that had always been something Mary valued about her.

"Aylee, I _saw you_ talking to him..." Mary insisted in a kind tone.

Aylee had to know that she could trust her, that she wouldn't be mad at her no matter what.

"You did?- I mean, yes... I did." she finally blurtet out, obviously relieved to speak the truth.

"Mary he was the one who brought you in. He _found you_." The blonde admitted quietly. Her expression changed from nervous to a very warm and kind one.

Her soft green eyes were focused on the brunette, waiting for her to speak. It was the sympathetic look her friend was known for and right now it felt good to have a friend who tells the truth, Mary thought.

"How do you know him though?" She asked, trying to not to sound too interested in it, even though she obviously was.

"He introduced himself to me. He's quite the charmer." Her friend said as a matter of fact.

Aylee's smile was bright and genuine but there was something else, something Mary couldn't quite classify.

So after 5 minutes you already call someone by his nickname and finish sentences for him? Sure thing, she thought but she wasn't going to grill her friend about it anymore.

Her sweet friend was still hiding something and Mary was definitely going to find out.

* * *

"I uhm- I wanted to say thanks." a very nervous Mary said, fumbling with the hem of her yellow cardigan.

She wasn't dressed up much – just a simple white tank top, a citrus colored jersey jacket, dark blue jeans and white ballerinas . Her hair shiny brown hair was falling loosely around her shoulders and at some points touched the simple silver necklace she was wearing. It had a small butterfly charm on it, a present from Francis.

She figured that she had to thank him at some point and since she didn't posses a single contact address such as his mobile number, email or whatever she decided to just show up at his place again and get it over with. Maybe this time he wouldn't be as harsh on her.

"For what?" The dark-haired man asked.

Was that a grin on his lips or did she just imagine it? It was pretty hard to tell because the side of his lips was only slightly raised but it actually looked like Bash was smiling. _Well that would be a first._

"Saving me, I suppose?" Mary suggested, still playing with one of the yellow and silver buttons.

She couldn't look at him. Like _really _look at him.

Sebastian was dressed in a dark long-sleeved shirt and greyish jeans. It was effortless but the way it shifted the focus on those damn eyes must've been on purpose.

Mary could swear that the moment she'd knowledge those shiny blue eyes that were framed by perfect dark lashes, she wouldn't be able to leave and well, that would seem rather odd now wouldn't it?

So she did her best to avoid it and tried to focus on some random spot right beside him, so he wouldn't think of her as an impolite person.

But then again he was probably the last person who actually cared about manners.

"I just happened to be at the right place in the right moment, nothing heroic." she heard him say with a shrug of his shoulders.

Okay maybe letting a woman bleed to death was something even a someone with poor manners wouldn't do. Not even talking about the juristic obligations.

"You stayed." She said, her tone a mix of astonishment and kindness.

It was the first time since she arrived that Mary risked a real glance on the man's features.

"I stayed where?" Bash asked with lightly raised brows.

God what was the deal with _everyone_ trying to make her feel like she was insane?

"At the hospital... _I saw you_." The brunette repeated what she had told Aylee just hours before. She may have been medicated but not _blind_.

"Oh that." Francis' brother said before bringing one of his hands up to awkwardly rub his neck. "I was just making sure you were taken care of." he admitted and even though he was obviously trying to play it down Mary knew that she shouldn't take it for granted.

"_The whole night_?" she went on with a smirk of her own.

For some reason he seemed to care. So if he already started to care for her even though he barely knew her he must care for his brother a whole lot more than he was leading on.

Mary waited for him to say something, deny it possibly, but he only rolled his eyes.

The fact that he hadn't shut the door in her face yet encouraged her to take this somewhat further.

She was going to have the perfect wedding and the man in front of her would reunite with her fiance and now was the time to seal the deal. She thought, even though it already sounded ridiculous right there she pushed him aside and boldly stepped into his apartment.

The living space looked quite nice, quite cozy for a man's cave.

Everything was held in wooden colors and natural pastels, not the usual black and white you'd find in an apartment decorated by a man. There were rather big windows but it still didn't look like some glass cube, a thing she hated about "modern living".

From where she was standing she could spot a small kitchen space, no actual cooking equipment but a small oven, a few hot plates and of course a microwave - well he was a guy after all.

It was the opposite to the place she was calling home for a while now. Not that opulent and bigger-than-life. She really didn't need all the space and furniture Francis found essentially for their home but she had gotten used to it. Bash's place looked more like a home though.

"You know I could call the police. Breaking in someone's apartment is an actual crime, Misses Valois" Sebastian accused her with a chuckle but nevertheless seemed to accept his fate as he closed the door behind him.

"_Stuart_, I'm not married yet." Mary insisted with a neutral tone but went on snooping around his place. "Did you just move here?" she asked curiously stepping closer to a couple of moving boxes.

They were placed in one corner of the room but judging from all the stuff that was chaotically placed upon them it didn't seem like he had the intention of unpacking them anytime soon.

"Like a year ago. But time probably rushes when you have nothing to worry about." Bash said in an arrogant tone as he gained some distance from the brunette by sitting down on the big couch on the other side of the room.

Ignoring his offense she kept investigating the huge boxes.

If he hadn't basically saved her life a few days ago she would've probably scratched his eyes out but then again how would he know what she had been through?

Scary memories from that horrible day she had woken up in the hospital came back to her mind.

She had survived the crash but her mother hadn't. That one day had changed her life forever and sealed her fate to marry Francis.

Not that she was complaining, she loved him, but it had never really been her choice.

He was Francises half brother, despite not having been in direct contact with him he must've known some of that. _Insensitive bastard._

Before she could snap out of it she felt a cold tear rolling down her cheek but she quickly washed it away. She was stronger than this.

Back then she had sworn that she'd never let anyone see her weak or vulnerable again. Mary had managed to make the best of her life and honor her parents' legacy by saving their company with the help of Francis and his parents.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to -" he admitted quietly, his glance directed on the wooden floor.

"No. You're right." Mary said, but she was obviously offended. "Life has always been _easy_ for me because I'm the little rich girl who's engaged to an even wealthier man." She hissed. The sarcasm could not be overheard.

He seemed to study her face for a second, closely.

"Wanna see some of Francises embarrassing baby photos?" He asked with a shrug.

How the hell could he go from seriously insulting her to adorkable in not even a second? And why in this world was she not unbearably mad at him?

Was he _grinning_ right now? Making fun of her? That guy would be the end of her.

"I bet that yours are worse." Mary stated, trying to match his usual cheeky tone. Her arms were still crossed right above her rip cage.

She had really meant for it to sound like an insult but her fake pounding was pointless as her frown slowly started to disappear again.

"Not a chance. I actually always looked fabulous." Bash said, his grin widening at her reaction, so that she could almost spot tiny dimples on his usually so masculine face.

(…)

They were now both sitting on the comfy couch with some photo albums placed on the table in front of them.

As Mary grabbed the next one to continue their journey into Francises childhood a strong hand rushed to stop her from opening it.

"That one's personal." Sebastian said with a tone that did not fit their previously so carefree chatter.

"Oh let me guess, the cheeky bastard did not look so fab as a kid after all?" She challenged him with a giggle. But Mary soon realized that this was no joke to him.

"I'm serious, Mary. That is none of your business." Bash said and snatched the book from her, tossing it back into the box she had found it in.

His sudden change of mood surprised her but she decided not to test him. Mary had no idea who this guy really was and what buttons she might have pushed. Still he was acting like her on her freaking period - hot and cold, hot and cold - she had never really seen a guy who acted like that around her.

Maybe there were pictures of him and his mother in there, or even worse - shots of the days they had been a happy family – Sebastian, Henry and Diane. But had they ever been?

On the one hand she really wanted to get to know this man, especially the reasons why he and Francis aren't talking anymore but on the other hand he was so frustrating, challenging even. Being around Sebastian de Poitiers seemed like a constant balancing act even though she suspected that he wasn't that type of guy at all.

"Francis never told me what happened…" she started carefully.

From the look on his face, what seemed to get more distant by the second, she could tell that she had overstepped another boundary, touched upon a fragile topic.

She watched how his jawline grew more defined while he clenched his teeth slightly. His usually so lively eyes now somewhat darker, if you'd over-interpret his expressions you could even see a hint of pain rushing over his features.

What the hell happened back then?

To her surprise the dark haired man next to her answered, if only neutrally and with a short sentence.

"We had different mothers who hated each others guts, that's about all." Sebastian said, his glance fixed on nothing in particular.

"But you seemed so happy together when you were younger? All those pictures of you playing together, even some of the two of you in college… What could your mothers have possibly done to separate the best friends on these pictures?" Mary asked in disbelieve.

She was holding a photo of Francis and Bash playing with wooden swords and colorful decorated shields.

It looked like a staged fight between two boys you'd never imagine hating each other at any point in their life. They looked so happy and inseparable.

"Well Catherine has her ways to manipulate people…" He paused for a minute, carefully picking his next words. "She wanted me out so she got me out and everybody approved."

"That sounds…" Mary started but the bitterness in his eyes kept her from stating the obvious.

_Of course it was sad, Mary_. He was an illegitimate child who got chased away from his family for whatever reason, it was fucking tragic.

"What about your mother?" She asked, the curiosity getting the best of her again. Mary was still buff that he hadn't just thrown her out by now, she probably would have if there was a stranger on _her _couch randomly interviewing her.

"Diane is a smart woman. She had the best intentions but not always the best plans." She heard him say.

His voice was barely above a whisper and it made her want to mentally slap herself. _Hard_.

She had forced him to talk about something that obviously still pained him out of pure egoism. He must be a very patient guy for staying so calm as he kept up with her shit.

"I- I'm sorry you don't have to-" she started but he cut her off by placing a hand on her thigh. "It's okay. At this point it is not only my family we're talking about, it's yours as well and you have the right to know." Bash responded and made his way over to the small kitchen area.

"Coffee?" he asked, throwing her a glance over his bold shoulders.

"Oh, I am more of a tea person actually. Honoring the roots and all." Mary explained with an awkward chuckle and immediately expected him to ask about said roots but he didn't.

She couldn't imagine that Francis would have told him about her Scottish family background and to be honest why would he be interested in that? She just kinda thought that they were getting to know each other right here but maybe the interest was just one-sided after all.

Who could blame him, though? It wasn't like she a) had left him any time to ask and b) seemed like such an interesting person anyway.

She liked to be alone and outside just enjoying nature or reading a book. Nothing intriguing.

Everyone just always assumed that, because she was engaged to the CEO of a big pharmacy company and had a pretty good spare of power herself, she was somehow better than usual people but Sebastian didn't seem to think so.

He was treading her like the normal person she always wanted to be seen as but somehow it did kind of bruise her ego.

"I'm sorry my variety of warm drinks is kind of limited, Miss Stuart but I could offer my Scottish guest some coca?" He suggested with a smirk that made her forget everything she just assumed about not being treated a special person here, he was truly surprising her.

Plus he did mention her nationality so either that guy was a genius on almost-vanished accents or Francis did talk to his half-brother sporadically.

There was still the possibility that he had been reading the newspaper lately but acknowledging this fact would ruin the moment.

"I'd love some coca, Bash." Mary said with a shyish smile that only seemed to fuel his own.

God, why wasn't it allowed for women in the US to marry more than one guy again? And who hated her that much that they had to punish her with a future brother-in-law who looked like a fucking rockstar?

Not one of those arrogant abercrombie models who all kinda looked the same and still acted like they were so damn special but one of those independant leather jacket and denim models who didn't even have to shave in order to look like no woman on this planet could resist.

And she was _definitely_ a woman.

An engaged woman who had certain duties to fulfill to both her deceased parents and the family of her husband-to-be, but still a woman.

_You only have to make friends with him so the wedding will be perfect, after that you can avoid this guy for the rest of your life and you'll probably have to in order to stay sane_.

As she watched this handsome tousled-haired man fix their drinks she felt guilt rising inside her gut. The simple 'thank you' had led to an hour long conversation while her fiance was probably already worrying sick about her. He always did.

Still, she had to admit that it felt kind of exciting.

* * *

**A/N: **There are like a hundred clues on the plot twist in here, if you figure it out you get a cookie.

Reviews:

_**Mrsleehumanstilinskilayhey, charity, guest 1, cielxbassy, im on team edbella delean and mash, FullMoonWerewolf, Guest 2, peacenotwar93, BunnyChestnut, iloverob32, Guest 3**_→ Thank you so so much for reviewing, you're keeping me writing, guys!

_**flor:**_ Haha thanks, it's actually mean to be confusing (you'll see why) and the confusion is just starting :D but I promise you that it'll all make sense in the end! And love you for mentioning Lola and Catherine! They're essential for the plot twist! :) Henry too will appear later on.


	4. Secret Affairs

**Chapter 4**

* * *

She hadn't been at that french bakery around the corner in ages, at least it felt like that. Before her accident Mary had spent every waking hour there but afterwards, with her commitment to Francis and all the wedding arrangements there hadn't been much time to stop by the french pastry shop.

When she walked by the delicious cakes and buns in the shop window Mary just had to enter the little bakery, after all the shopping she really deserved a break and this was the perfect place to rest. The nice smell of all those sweets was instantly taking the weight off her.

This was no doubt the place she'd order her wedding cake from. A small and classy one – white, some eatable pearls, white marzipan flowers and a lot of frosting. She'd kill for a piece of that right now... so she could as well try some other sweets. You can never be sure enough when it comes to picking the perfect wedding cake, right?

While one of the waiters was taking her bags and arranging a table for her she observed the little cafe some more and was surprised to see a familiar face at the counter.

"Bash, is that you?" She asked with a bright smile, taking a step towards the dark haired man.

Mary had to admit that he looked pretty adorable balancing a paper bag of bread rolls, his keys and his wallet in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

From the looks of it he had just stumbled out of bed, what would be pretty weird considering that it was already noon but his hair was messier than usual and he was wearing a simple black hoodie and gray sweatpants, odd. She decided that she was going to give him the benefit of the doubt though.

"Mary, hey" Sebastian said a little awkward. Okay if she was being honest 'adorable' didn't cover it anymore - he actually looked hot with those blue bedroom eyes and that silly smile on his lips.

"It's great to see you! How have you been?" She asked, adding to the awkwardness by slightly rocking back and forth. Why did she have the urge to talk to him all the damn time when they couldn't even lead a usual conversation? Maybe they just weren't meant to be more than distant relatives or something.

"Oh good. Good really." He said, still fumbling with his keys. "What about the _bride to be_?" He said with a tat of sarcasm in his voice that she couldn't possibly overhear.

Mary felt horrible. The worst was that she had no idea why. She loved the thought of marriage and she had been super excited about it so why was she letting a total stranger mess that up? Okay, technically they had shared a whole evening of story telling and laughter what had to count for something. Still, no reason for his cheeky attitude to bother her so much.

"Fantastic." Mary said a bit too snippy. It was pretty obvious that she was lying but then again this guy barely knew her so she was probably save.

"Do you come here often?" She added hastily. Of course she was referring to the fact that Sebastian lived in the Bronx and therefore picking up breakfast on the upper east side was pretty strange, at this time of a day too.

"Uhm no, I mean I used to when I was still working in town here but now I only come here when I'm around." Bash answered rubbing the back of his head out of habit.

Mary was definitely not going to push him to tell her what exactly 'around' meant and she was doing her best not to care. It wasn't any of her business anyway but all this mystery was making her curious.

Her best bet was that he had been at some hotel near by for whatever reason and overslept but she quickly realized that there was a more obvious reason for all of this. He had stayed with someone, a girl most likely. This really shouldn't bother her as much as it did.

God, was she starting to turn into an even more dangerous version of bridezilla? Like bride-I-can't-resist-my-fiance's-brother-zilla? Or maybe all the shopping and planning was making her crazy.

Anyway, there was no way she could stay here with him. Bash probably couldn't wait to escape this weird conversation either, cause', well she couldn't. There was something about the way they talked to each other, something about _him_ that really intimidated her and made her incredibly tense.

The weird thing was that Mary kinda liked it. Like she felt drawn to him in a way she couldn't explain to herself. Maybe it was the way he challenged her with simple gestures and difference in his tone – the fact that he was the only one who made her doubt her social skills, in a good way. She was usually so confident around others but now she felt like she had no idea what she was doing.

"You OK?" He suddenly asked, throwing her off balance, figuratively.

This small question actually did a lot for her. It took all the stress and awkwardness from her because the answer required honesty and it was nice that someone seemed to care about how she was _feeling_ for a change.

Lately every question thrown at her was about Francis' business,the wedding or totally irrational stuff. Mary was **eager** to talk to someone.

"No, my feet are sore and I have to plan that whole freaking wedding alone, I am not OK." she said losing balance on her high heels for a second. It was the truth and even though her tone fitted her emotions it was great to finally let it out.

Bash didn't answer. He simply looked at her with some kind of understanding mirrored in his face, luckily it wasn't pity though. People pitying her was definitely the last thing Mary needed.

He cast a glance in the direction of the waiter who had promised to fix a table for the brunette and when he returned his attention to her there was a bright grin on his features.

"C'mon we're going on an adventure." He put the money for his purchase on the counter with a little tip and placed his hand on the small of Mary's back to guide her out of the store.

* * *

"Bash, what?-" She asked confused looking back towards her already arranged table. "My bags and-" Mary tried to protest but he had already managed to drag her out of the store.

"So tell me, any hidden skeletons in your closet, any nasty fights, immoral affairs or bad crimes?" Bash asked with a lopsided grin while walking. He was obviously trying to cheer her up and it really seemed to work as the tension in Mary's shoulders slowly faded.

He had let them to a very nice spot inside Central Park that happened not to be crowded with a dozen of tourists. It was somewhere beside Belvedere Castle where you had a great view over the turtle pond.

"This is beautiful, Bash." Mary told him, completely stunned. She had been up here uncountable times, on the roof of the castle too, but she had never seen this side of it.

They were now approaching a small and old-looking bench that was crowded by trees and grass. It was true, this place was beyond lovely.

"When I'm in this part of town I come here a lot, just to let go of all the stress and trouble. Not many people seem to know that you can go up here so it's mostly quiet and unoccupied." Sebastian commented in a tone that made her shiver. He seemed so balanced and free. So packed with worries and still deeply relaxed. She understood why he came here.

"You have to answer the question though. I can't risk the possibility that my future sister-in-law is an axe murder or black widow." Bash tried to distract her again, the smirk back on his features.

Mary chuckled and shook her head at the visionary accusations and took a minute to think about her answer.

"Well… I did spill wine on Francises white Armani suit once. Does that count?" Mary asked with an amused smile. She was now taking place on the small bench and looked up at Bash in a sweet way.

The brunette couldn't remember ever having done anything wrong and she was even sure of it as she grew up and was trained to be a member of the upper class. Escaping to a "secret" hiding place with the brother of her fiance was as wicked as she could get.

"On purpose or by accident?" The man opponent her asked acting as if he was seriously considering her answer.

"Accidentally of course!" Mary responded truthfully, her expression underlining her clean image that was slowly starting to crack.

"Then it does not count." Sebastian continued with a slight shake of his head while sitting down beside her. The sudden proximity speeding up Mary's heart beat noticeable.

"What about you? Any dirty little secrets on your side?" Mary questioned playfully, leaning closer towards him as she studied his face.

"Little no, dirty yes." Bash told her looking right into her brown eyes with a definite focus on the last part.

He was really trying to flirt with her now wasn't he? Shamelessly and direct. And hell, it was working.

Mary felt a warmth building up inside her stomach that seemed to cloud her mind too. Usually she would've blushed or just pretended that she hadn't heard it but somehow this was different. She felt the urge to do a little challenging of her own.

"Like what Mr. Poitiers?" Mary asked as she bit down on her lip softly, aware of the fact that those blue eyes were still staring while she was playing with weed, that had grown through the backrest of the bench.

"I don't believe a lady like you would want to hear about any of it." Bash stated, the flirty tone still accompanying his words but his eyes now observing the view in front of them.

While Mary thought he was going to brag a moment earlier she was surprised to notice his sudden change of manners. Still, she really wanted to hear those stories.

Mary wanted to ask about the circumstances for his afternoon breakfast but her embellishments caught up to her as well. She had never been too reckless or careless, always acting perfectly accurate even though her strong will sometimes got the best of her.

She knew that she couldn't take a wrong step or her parents' legacy, _her_ future would be in danger. That didn't mean that she didn't want to do something stupid every now and then and as she stole a glance at the dark haired man beside her she was painfully aware of it.

"We should go back." Mary suggested quietly. If by now he was feeling the same attraction between them he'd agree because there was no way they could act upon it.

A part of her wished that she was just imagining this strange force of gravity that seemed to invade both, her mind and her body. She wanted it to be caused by all the stress she had, a hallucination. Mary really liked Bash and she was sure they could be good friends at some point but this was starting to get way too dangerous.

"Yeah.. I should get going anyway. Those bread rolls are highly anticipated." Bash excused himself with a chuckle while getting up from his the bench. He seemed uncertain about his next step as he observed their surroundings. "We can repeat this anytime you like, Mar- _Mary_" He finished with an uncertain expression on his features as he turned around to start leading the way back to the bakery.

"Sure." Was all Mary could come up with as she stared after her fiances brother in confusion.

No one calls her Mar'.

The nickname wasn't awful, that wasn't the point… she just had never heard anyone calling her that ever.

* * *

When Mary returned home a few hours after her odd and jet exciting encounter with Sebastian de Poitiers Kenna, Aylee and Greer were already waiting for her at the lobby.

The three women instantly got up to embrace their best friend in a tight hug before taking some of the bags from her. They have always been very helpful and thoughtful around her and in times like these she was more than thankful to have them.

After the four of them had settled inside the small living room Mary was glad to call her very own Greer started babbling about her romantic getaway with her new boyfriend, or "lover" as she liked to call him.

"So what's keeping you?" Mary asked in a sweet voice, her hands folded together above her knee.

"What do you mean?" The blonde asked, turning her attention to her best friend.

"What's keeping you from actually calling him your boyfriend, or introducing him to everyone?" The brunette continued with actual concern for her friend. Greer had always waited for the 'perfect match' and now that she seemed to have found it she was making a secret out of it.

"Yeah, you aren't even using his name. 'You afraid we'd snatch him from you?" Kenna asked with a giggle but Mary found the question quite fitting. What other reason could there be for Greer to be so secretive? Maybe the guy had a bad reputation around woman, or in general. She really wanted Greer to be happy but if she was it would be perfectly fine for her to brag with it. Being in love was a good thing after all.

"No, no of course not. We're... just not- .. I don't wanna ruin things. I really want this to work so we're taking things slow." Greer answered truthfully as she carefully took a cookie from the plate Mary had placed on the coffee table for them.

"And using his name would ruin things, how?" Kenna asked cheeky but Mary slightly raised her hand to stop her.

"It is her decision, Kenna. I'm sure we'll get to meet the lucky guy sooner or later." She said, casting Greer a reassuring and kind smile.

"Leith." The blonde said before eating another small cookie. "His name is Leith. Now, Kenna tell us, who have you been spending the nights with recently?" Greer asked with a smirk, getting back at her friend for pressuring her that much.

"Would it be daring to assume that there isn't only _one _guy Kenna is close with right now?" A careful Aylee asked from the other side of the sofa.

The girls started to giggle at her sweet tone when in reality all of them knew there was never just one guy when it came to Kenna.

"Aylee is right, this could hardly be an exception!" Greer stated with a laugh but Mary shot her a glance so she'd keep it down. True, Kenna might enjoy the company of many, mostly older guys, but she wasn't a whore and she really didn't want Kenna to feel like her friends thought she was.

"Actually, right now there is just that one guy." Kenna let on with a smile. "He's _definitely_ enough for now." The brunette continued, her smile growing dirtier.

"So name him! _I_ had to." Greer remarked, nudging her friend slightly with her shoulder.

Mary had to admit she was curious as well but Kenna wasn't one to keep quiet about it anyway so she might as well wait for it.

"So I met him a couple of weeks ago at the bar we went together..." Kenna started giving Mary a look. By now said brunette had a good idea who her friend was talking about but she really didn't want to hear it. It couldn't be Bash, he would've told her,...right?

"Mary challenged me to win him over so I did. Not that night cause he had to leave for a work thing but the next evening we really got it on-" Somewhere between how Kenna seduced him and how he was '_really _good at what he's doing' Mary stopped listening.

Mary couldn't make out the root of her sudden anger and she really hoped it wasn't jealousy. Maybe it was simple betrayal? Disappointment? After all she had been _in the hospital_ while Kenna had been flirting around with her fiance's brother. Not like Mary had been any better but Kenna did all of that behind her back and after all she hadn't been sleeping with him. It had been about 7 weeks since the bar thing and apparently the same amount of time Kenna had been fooling around with Bash and neither of them had even thought about telling her? Nice.

And Sebastian – he was dating _someone, _dating her best friend, and he was making her feel guilty for being married to Francis when there was _nothing _she should be ashamed of, because she had not promised Bash _anything_. Still, he managed to make her feel bad and she wouldn't let him get away with that.

After she quickly made her excuses to her friends, telling them she'd have to take care of something concerning the wedding and would return shortly, Mary called for a taxi and made her way over to the Bronx.

* * *

She had knocked four times by now, rather loudly and still there was no answer. "Sebastian!" Mary called out again, hoping he'd open the door and wouldn't look as handsome as usually so she'd be able to yell at him.

She had no idea why she was so angry about all of this but she felt like both of her friends had lied to her and she was going to speak her mind. She usually remained a sane head about stuff like that but there were times she got so worked up in something that Mary simply had to lash out on someone.

When he answered the door he looked even better than in the morning. His hair was styled but he had a similar intense look in his eyes. He was dressed in dark blue jeans and a simple blue shirt as he was standing in front of her, his lips in a line.

Something was up but before she could give another thought to that she had to let off steam or it'll only get worse.

"You sneaky bastard! You stupid jerk!" Mary yelled landing little punches on his broad shoulders, very broad. "You're sleeping with Kenna and you didn't even think about enlightening me about that!" she continued glaring at him.

She was being dramatic, dramatic and completely unreasonable. He had been nothing but nice to her and had never even showed any sign of romantic interest except for the little flirts now and then, which she probably just imagined, and here she was insulting him for having some sort of girlfriend? It wasn't like he had to ask her permission to date.

Still, he should have told her that the lucky lady he had those extended sleepovers with and was spoiling with bread rolls and french pastry was her _best friend_. She felt like, as a friend, he owed that to her, both of them did.

"You should have told me!" She said shoving him aside slightly and entering his apartment without permission. Seems like this was becoming a thing. "A simple – I'm dating your best friend – would've been enough." Mary added in a much calmer tone as she turned around to face him.

Bash was still standing in the door frame but his expressions had changed from neutral to overly tense. He was giving her a look she couldn't quite place. Not until she finally noticed that they weren't alone.

"Catherine." Mary commented neutrally, the air suddenly leaving her lungs.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm so sorry for the late update. I had finals/A-Levels and after that I was pretty exhausted what let to a writers block :/ So please excuse me if this chapter is not my best work but I promise it'll get more interesting. Especially now with Kenna and Catherine in the picture.

Concerning the next chapter I promise it'll be up soon and there will be some other familar faces appearing. Like Lola and Francis. And if anyone thinks that Bash's relationship with Kenna or Catherine's secret visit at his place was the plot twist, think again - cause it's going to be hell more shocking! There are a lot of hints in the last chapter and in this one but I hope the Chapter 5 will give away even more! So stay tuned! :)


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